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Moving Up in the Profession: Personal Essay 2
by David Burge, executive director, undergraduate admissions, Arizona State University
I was a senior at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS,
when I happened upon an advertisement for a position as a
telecounselor in the admission office. Since it paid more than
the job I already had, I reasoned, “Even if I hate it, I can tough
it out for one semester.” I took the position. I didn’t fall in
love with admission or recruiting while making my phone
calls, but at least it was on campus and allowed me to eat pizza
instead of Ramen noodles.
Two years after graduation, after slowly learning that
I wasn’t cut out to be a star actor in Wichita, KS, I got
married. We moved back to Lawrence; I was one of “those
alumni” who thought that life couldn’t be better than
living in my old college town. I applied for two jobs in
college admission and landed the one at my alma mater. I
was especially happy, as I believe that alumni do make the
best admission representatives.
I was excited about my job as an admission/scholarship counselor
and gave some serious thought to how I was going to
recruit the National Merit students in my charge. We were
just beginning to use email, and a new and then-revolutionary
website, MapQuest, had all the representatives buzzing
about how easy it was to find your high schools.
This was my first “grown-up” job, and I found the transition
difficult. I didn’t like my job. My office mate, who remains a
friend, and I talked about our plans to work for two years and
then move on to something better. My boss expected results;
to me, the expectations seemed unrealistic. As I reflect today
on this challenging first step into an adult world, I am grateful
that I had someone in my early professional life who didn’t
accept mediocrity.
Of course, I didn’t understand that then, and I decided to
quit. I applied for several jobs, both on campus and in the
community, and was offered one outside of higher education.
When I told my boss, her immediate response was to send me
in to see Alan Cerveny, the director of admission—a man who
later proved to be one of the most influential people in my
professional life.
He asked me why I wanted to leave and I responded—falsely—that
there was “more money elsewhere.” He made me an
offer, which did not include a bigger salary. He told me that,
as a first-year counselor, I hadn’t tapped all I could do with
admission. “Stick with us one more year, and see what you
think,” he said. “There is potential for you here and definitely
potential in this profession.”
I didn’t know if he was right, but it felt good to have someone
say that he liked what he saw in me. Three months later, he
promoted me to interim assistant director. Nine months after
that, he made the position permanent, and three years later,
I followed him to the University of Nebraska, where he had
been named dean of admission. I was on my career path.
Those of us who are committed to the
profession are also responsible for
sustaining it. We need to think about
ultimately replacing ourselves…
I had told myself that I would be at the University of Nebraska
for five years, but it turned into seven. During that time,
I had the privilege of working with a number of incredibly
talented men and women in a culture that promoted from
within. Counselors became assistant directors and assistant
directors became members of the senior leadership team. Five
of us who worked in the admissions office from 2003 to 2005
are now directors of admission or enrollment managers at large
public universities.
I have been executive director of undergraduate admissions
at Arizona State University for the past two years. Over the
last 15 years, I have seen my fair share of younger versions
of me— men and women—who I have tried to keep in the
profession during challenging times. Some of those I’ve lost
have returned after a few years to report that admission work
was their home after all.
Those of us who are committed to the profession are also responsible
for sustaining it. We need to think about ultimately
replacing ourselves with someone just as good, or even better.
At times, it seems to me, we labor to make things overly academic.
We implement formal mentorship programs to get at
what we should be doing on a regular basis: engaging younger
staff in a positive way. We do more than serve our own
immediate needs by attracting and retaining talent.
This work is hard, and young professionals entering the field
should expect to produce and demonstrate results. One of the
best ways to ensure your own success is to surround yourself
with good people and to make a personal investment in
them and their well-being. Reward good work with specific
compliments; challenge your staff members to become more
than they thought they could be. Ask questions, and offer
opinions. Above all, when you see potential, communicate it.
National Association for College Admission Counseling • Career Paths for Admission Officers: A Survey Report Page 28 of 55